Issue: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine #1
Release Date: September 2011
Writers: Joss Whedon
Pencils: Georges Jeanty
Inks: Dexter Vines
Colors: Michelle Madsen
Letters: Richard Starkings and COMICRAFT’S Jimmy Betancourt
Cover: Steve Morris
Alternate Cover: Jo Chen
25th Anniversary Cover: Georges Jeanty with Dexter Vines and JD Mettler
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Buffy’s back and she’s just as messed up as ever. When last we left our Slayer, she had rid the world of magic, put her former boyfriend in jail, and was continuing to string along her vampire stalker giving him hope that one day he might have a chance. But all is not right in the world and it’s up to Buffy to continue the good fight, even if the world around her could care less. Buffy’s a waitress with an attitude, Spike’s still hanging around like a puppy, and Willow’s trying to make a life without magic. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Buffy has tried to move on with her life. At least she’s not still living on Xander and Dawn’s couch anymore. No, she now has an apartment with roommates and a semblance of a normal life. Yeah, like that’s going to happen. For all that Buffy’s trying to put on a brave face and act like everything’s okay, Willow seems much more well-adjusted. Her magic’s gone, but she’s lost the depression and focused on the positive. She seems okay, at least on the surface. And Spike’s not doing half-bad either. He’s still coming around like he and Buffy are best friends. No offense to Spike, but I wouldn’t let the Slayer string me along for this long, even if she did give a glimmer of hope that they could work it out. But whatever, it’s not like Spike’s one to give up easily.
Buffy’s life seems to be going okay, which can only mean it’s headed for disaster. There’s a monster out to get her, perhaps in retaliation for destroying the seed. Whatever its motivation, the hit has been put out on Buffy and he’s determined to make her pay. It was nice to have a real meaty enemy, since most of this issue was about how crazy a drunk Buffy could be. But thankfully we ended with Buffy, Willow, and Spike out on patrol, the way it should be. You can completely upturn a Slayer’s life, but you can’t stop her from being a Slayer. And she also can’t get away from student loans, it sounds like, but that’s a story for another day. Until then, we’re left with aimless Buffy trying to find a cause on which to focus. Welcome to the new life.
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
LOL Hamnoo???
This ‘review’ is hilarious. How did you manage to get just about everything wrong?
First off, “put her former boyfriend in jail”? Who’s that? Angel? Angel is in Giles’s apartment in London with Faith helping him.
Next up “and was continuing to string along her vampire stalker giving him hope that one day he might have a chance”? Who is that? Angel? He was the one stalking Buffy in season 8. But no, you’re referring to… Spike?! Eh, I guess you just happened to miss seasons 6 and 7. And season 8 as well. That’s OK. OK, I’ll sum it up for you: Spike and Buffy had a relationship in seasons 6 and 7. Spike died, was resurrected, but didn’t call Buffy to tell her. In season 8, that season that Angel spent under a mask, stalking Buffy and tormenting her and then trying to get her to stay in paradise with her, Spike only returned to help Buffy save the world. Spike has showed no signs of romantic interest in Buffy at all so far in season 8, or the first issue of season 9. Buffy, on the other hand, has had romantic and sexual fantasies about him, which he was oblivious to.
“Spike is hanging around like a puppy”?! “No offense to Spike, but I wouldn’t let the Slayer string me along for this long, even if she did give a glimmer of hope that they could work it out. But whatever, it’s not like Spike’s one to give up easily.” Woot?! I can understand missing a few seasons and not having an idea what’s going on… But you actually read those panels and put them up and still have no clue what’s going on there?
Let me help you: Buffy is blatantly flirting with Spike, or rather trying to. Spike is not responding. He even says “Not this year” to Buffy’s blatant come-on “Any chance I can make you beg?” A bit of meta commentary there as well as to what we can expect this year. Oh, and later at the party, Spike is kissing another girl just a few feet away from Buffy.
It’s pretty clear who’s pursuing whom there.
Seriously, did you even read any of the comics? Sounds like you haven’t followed Buffy since season 5.
What? Everything Ivana said, which saves me the trouble of typing it.
I absolutely do agree with Ivana! Have you ever watched the show?! Do you ever know who Spike is?! Spike is one of the greatest and complex characters in the show, Spike is the most evolved character by Joss Whedon’s words. He is not Buffy’s “puppy boy”” or a “stalker”. Unlike Angel who caused Buffy only a pain and disaster, Spike is a hero and a true champion! He gave his (un)life for saving the world. As Ivana mentioned above Spike and Buffy had a relationship in seasons 6 and 7. And Buffy was in love with him in the end of season 7. I hope she still loves him not only as a best friend – Spike is her savior, her soul mate, her champion, her everything!
Kimberly, please go to re-watch the show or to re-read the comics instead to write these nonsense!
I guess it is better not to write a review at all, than having a person who has absolutely no idea write one for you.
Really, it’s bad for the site, it seems idiotic. Next time plz that you will write a review, please write a review and not your own story,
Thanks for the comments! Even if you totally disagree with me, it’s nice to start the discussion.
Re: Ivana (and Xane)
“First off, “put her former boyfriend in jail”?”
I was using it figuratively “mental prison” not “physical prison” but the idea still stands that he is relegated to banishment because those he formerly cared about have turned their backs on him for his actions.
“Next up “and was continuing to string along her vampire stalker giving him hope that one day he might have a chance”?”
I’m well aware of Spike’s arc. I adore Spike. He’s my favorite character of the entire Buffy universe. I, however, don’t like the way Buffy treats him (uses him) because he keeps giving himself over to her and she keeps taking advantage of that.
Re: Veirit
“Spike is one of the greatest and complex characters in the show”
Oh, I know! And I feel he’s slighted on many occasions. I adore Spike, I do not like Angel. If you’ve seen my reviews of the last season’s comics, that comes through quite a bit.
“And Buffy was in love with him in the end of season 7. I hope she still loves him not only as a best friend – Spike is her savior, her soul mate, her champion, her everything!”
I wish she did, too, but she seems to have forgotten the sacrifices Spike’s made for her and gone back to the relationship she had with him before (which was basically taking advantage of his love). If she could love him as much as I think he still loves her, that’d be great. But until then, he should walk away and make her realize how much she cares for him rather than always being there as a safety net.
Re: Georgia
“I guess it is better not to write a review at all, than having a person who has absolutely no idea write one for you.”
It’s okay with you disagree with me. As the former commenters have done, examples of where you disagree is a nice jumping-off point for discussion.
Again, thanks for the comments. Fans are always passionate about our characters and it’s nice to see that has been sustained over 2 years of comic canon :)
Hey Kimberly, thank you for your response! I’m sorry, if I did offend you, but I’m getting very emotional when it is relevant to Spike. Yeah I adore The “Blondie Bear” and I’m still taking an interest of these comics because of him.
You have a point Spike was Buffy’s “stalker” and her lovelorn “puppy” but that was in season 5 and the first half of season 6 and Spike had no soul then. And yeah, Buffy treated him like a crap. And she used him as a sexual toy on season 6 . But Spike decided to change, he went to Africa and he fought for his soul and he earned it – for her, for Buffy. And when he returned back to Sunnydale he was different and Buffy’s attitude to him changed. You clearly can see the change of her attitude to Spike in the episode “Beneath you” (Buffy S7). She started to respect him, to trust him and in the end she was in love with him.
I don’t want to mention how much Spike’s character changed and evolved after his resurrection on Angel and on the Brian Lynch’s IDW comics series “After The Fall” and Spike’s mini series. He is not a Buffy’s submissive shadows anymore – he is a man of himself!
I haven’t read the issue yet, but reading the preview – including the panel here where is clearly shown that Spike is not Buffy’s “lap dog” anymore “Not this year”, that’s why I was shocked that you still referring him as Buffy’s “stalker” and “puppy”. I don’t know have you read the Spike’s web comics where Spike returns from his bug’s ship and Buffy was so happy to see him “in home” again. I think there was a big vibe between them and I don’t think she have forgotten the sacrifices Spike’s made for her. If you referring her snarl to him in issue 36, Buffy was still under the Twilight’s glow then. And Buffy’s soul is deeply hurt now, she is depressed after her sexual encounter with Angel (the man who ordered to kill her slayers and killed Giles – her father figure) and she suffers after the breaking of the Seed and all this disaster. That’s why she is acting strange, imo, but I’m sure in the end of this season we finally will see Spike and Buffy together in a mutual love.
Kimberly: Sorry, but I couldn’t take your review seriously when you’re talking about Spike being Buffy’s “stalker” which is season 5 Spike, not season 7 Spike and definitely not season 8 Spike, or Buffy “stringing him along” while he’s waiting for his chance, when the exact opposite is happening. Spike is just there for her as a friend and colleague and if he still loves her romantically, he hasn’t shown any signs of it. (I think he does love her, but if I was her I would have enough reasons to think he doesn’t.) She’s the one who’s had a a big romantic/sex fantasy about him in #37 in which she imagined him acting passionate, jealous and hurt, while in reality he was being all business. She’s the one who was waiting for him in the web comic, asking him if he’s “home”, while he was acting nonchalant. She’s the one who acted “weird” and burst into tears in #40 and ran away so he wouldn’t see her vulnerable, while he was calm and just giving her a pep talk. And she’s the one who’s trying to flirt in that panel you posted, while he’s not responding (“Not this year”) and a little later is kissing another girl at the party a few feet away from her.
Spike is absolutely NOT being a stalker or waiting for a chance (Angel was her stalker in season 8). If anyone is fishing to see if there is a chance to rekindle the relationship, it’s Buffy.
Re: Veiriti
“You clearly can see the change of her attitude to Spike in the episode “Beneath you” (Buffy S7). She started to respect him, to trust him and in the end she was in love with him.”
Absolutely agree. But I feel like Buffy slipped back into a prior mindset after that (once Spike was resurrected and Buffy was on her own, then through the comic canon with varying events). I want that equality and love back that they had near the end of the 7th season. Spike deserves Buffy’s love and respect and has shown how much he’d sacrifice for her time and again. I’m just not getting that feeling from her as seeing him on that level anymore (though there’s always the potential that she’ll get back to it). The comics have taken us on a journey that, as times, I don’t always like, but I see a great potential for the storyline as it stands now.
“He is not a Buffy’s submissive shadows anymore – he is a man of himself!”
I definitely agree with you. My comments towards him being the puppy and “stalker” were from Buffy’s viewpoint. I think he most definitely sees himself as his own man and is strong enough to walk away from her and be the Spike I know and love without the Slayer, but I also think he’s going to keep coming back because he does care for her and maybe does hope that she’ll acknowledge that equality more than she is. I just don’t see her expressing that respect and equality where she is now in the comics. In the future? I think she can get there.
“And Buffy’s soul is deeply hurt now, she is depressed after her sexual encounter with Angel (the man who ordered to kill her slayers and killed Giles – her father figure) and she suffers after the breaking of the Seed and all this disaster. That’s why she is acting strange, imo, but I’m sure in the end of this season we finally will see Spike and Buffy together in a mutual love.”
I agree with you there. Buffy’s in a depressive state and suffering the consequences of her actions. She can treat Spike the way she does because she knows he’ll be there. I think he does want a chance with her and can see through her current actions for what they are. I would love it if Spike and Buffy could get to the point of mutual love (it’s favorite relationship from the original show), but I’m wary of whether that can happen unless something drastic happens to make Buffy realize it. If Spike walked away and was no longer a safety net, which I think he still is, maybe she’d get it. Or perhaps something else drastic will happen to bring them to that point. Either way, I want them to be together as equals. There’s love there, it’s just going to take a bit of time to come out.
Thanks for the comments! I like talking about the evolution of the canon, both from screen and the comics.
Re: Ivana
The stalker and puppy comments were from Buffy’s point of view, not Spike’s (or mine). I think he’s a strong man who deserves love and respect, but he’s not getting it from the current situation, in my opinion.
“Spike is just there for her as a friend and colleague and if he still loves her romantically, he hasn’t shown any signs of it.”
We’ll have to disagree on that point. I think she’s slipped back in her attitude towards him from being an equal (Season 7) to someone who is a safety net that she doesn’t have to treat with the respect he deserves. He still loves her and continues to be her safety net, despite the way she treats him (good and bad). He’s not dependent on her love, but it’s still there and I don’t think it’s going away. And, yes, she still loves him, but her mindset right now won’t allow her to express that in a healthy way, so she’s protecting herself in the shell of prior interactions. Do I think they’ll eventually be able to get back to the mutual love and respect they once had? Yes, but it’s going to take time.
Thanks for the comments! I think we actually share some of the same opinions, we’re just approaching them from different angles.
Here’s the thing – KL Workman as the banner Big Bold Black Letters States:
COMIC REVIEW: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON NINE #1
What I read in your review comes across as a FAN RANT and nothing like a professional reviewer giving the public useful information about the creative content or quality of the comic book.
Your intended “prison of the mind” fails to come across. If the reference to her stalker was intended to be Angel, your description has diminished all his actions and grievous crimes against Buffy and humanity to the level of a crazed boyfriend and their singular relationship.
As for Spike; if your description of his “still hanging around like a puppy” is an expression of your respect for the character, I think most of his fans and the general readership would read this as a negative statement. Your description gives a totally inaccurate description of all the changes that Spike has undergone and the complexity of their trans-formative journey story.
What really upsets me about your review – which is suppose to be a professional review of a comic book is the following section. It really comes off as a Fan Rant and not something that I would expect to read in a professional review.
Ok, sorry, if you want to discuss, I’m here to tell you why your review seems like someone who hasn’t watched the show or read the comics.
As Ivana said, Angel in jail. When someone reads the review, he understands jail, not “figuratively mental prison” as you corrected it later in the comments. And still, Angel is not in any figuratively mental prison, you can say he’s been put to recovery, or to hospital or to mental care (which are also not correct, but anyway they are closer to it) but you can’t say jail. Especially if you have read A&F issue 1, where you can see him back in his mind, walking in the streets of London, returning home alone without Faith. And not everyone has turned their backs on him, Faith was there.
“I’m well aware of Spike’s arc. I adore Spike. He’s my favorite character of the entire Buffy universe. I, however, don’t like the way Buffy treats him (uses him) because he keeps giving himself over to her and she keeps taking advantage of that.”
Well, if you are so aware of his arc, you should have known that in season 6 Spike wasn’t a stalker anymore. Ever since then. It was Buffy going to him, not the other way around. And in season 7, when exactly did Buffy used him? When she helped him get over his guilt and find a purpose? When she was the only one believing in him? When she decided to remove his chip? While she was protecting him when he was a threat to everyone with the trigger inside of him? When she stood by him when Giles and Wood decided to kiil him? When she made him her champion? When exactly did she take advantage of him?
Same for season 8, when did Buffy took advantage of Spike? Spike was the one that went to her and offered the solution to the mess. She once again saved his life when Angel tried to kill him. And in issue 40, we didn’t see Buffy taking advantage of him.
I haven’t read issue 1 of season 9, but from the reviews and the previews, how does Buffy take advantage of him? By inviting him to her party? Then she also took advantage of her sister, Willow, Xander, Andrew, Riley and everyone invited.
And how exactly did you understand that Buffy was giving hope to Spike that he might get her one day in #40 of season 8? And where did you see that Spike is running after her and trying to get her as his gilfriend? Last time he did that was in season 6, ever since he hasn’t.
“Spike’s still hanging around like a puppy”
??? If you had read the Spike webcomic you should have known that Spike in issue 39 went after the vagina demon and he was in space for more than 2 months. And in issue 40 we see him coming with the space ship, to give her some informations he learnt, and leaves right afterwards. Is that what puppies do?
“He’s still coming around like he and Buffy are best friends. No offense to Spike, but I wouldn’t let the Slayer string me along for this long, even if she did give a glimmer of hope that they could work it out. But whatever, it’s not like Spike’s one to give up easily.”
And how exactly did you understand that Spike is after Buffy? By coming back from the dead and not call her or inform her? By going to her only when he understood that she needs his help and he actually had a help to offer? By telling her “not this year” when she asks him, indirectly, to beg her? By hanging out at the party with Willow? By kissing another girl at the party? Where exactly did you come to the conclusion that all that Spike thinks is how to get inside Buffy’s pants?
As for the rest, I must read the issue first.
Re: cil_domney
“What I read in your review comes across as a FAN RANT and nothing like a professional reviewer giving the public useful information about the creative content or quality of the comic book.”
I appreciate your opinion on this aspect of the writing. The article was indeed a comment on the storyline, so I think it’s an appropriate review. However, I do respect that others might not see it that way. I’m always open to differing opinions.
“If the reference to her stalker was intended to be Angel, your description has diminished all his actions and grievous crimes against Buffy and humanity to the level of a crazed boyfriend and their singular relationship.”
No, the stalker (and puppy) comment was on the part of how I think Buffy still sees Spike (in callback to her mindset from prior seasons). It was not intended to diminish their relationship, but merely to show how Buffy’s current depressive mindset has made her revert back to diminishing Spike’s contribution as she has done before.
“As for Spike; if your description of his “still hanging around like a puppy” is an expression of your respect for the character, I think most of his fans and the general readership would read this as a negative statement.”
Actually, I adore Spike and I would like nothing more than to see him walk away from the current situation in order to snap Buffy out of her current mindset and see him for what he is: a strong man who has sacrificed himself more than enough for her safety and happiness. I think Spike has become a complex and completely transformed character from when we first met him, but I think Buffy’s currently blind to that because she’s not in a healthy, non-depressive mindset yet. Once she is, I think that mutual respect and love will come back. It just hasn’t yet.
Thanks for the comments.
part 2 of my comments.
This is the section that I think really upset me about your review – the closing may have been intended as a positive statement of Spike, but the first part takes away any intended positive remarks.
“No offense to Spike, but I wouldn’t let the Slayer string me along for this long, even if she did give a glimmer of hope that they could work it out. But whatever, it’s not like Spike’s one to give up easily”
I do very much the last part of your review.
Re: Georgia
Since it keeps coming up–the puppy and stalker comments were what I see from Buffy’s point of view. She’s reverting back to her prior mindset of him because she’s afraid to admit that it’s not true. And until something snaps her out of it, I don’t think she’s going to give him the chance he deserves.
“Especially if you have read A&F issue 1, where you can see him back in his mind, walking in the streets of London, returning home alone without Faith. And not everyone has turned their backs on him, Faith was there.”
I did review the Angel and Faith comment (see this site for the review) and I still think Angel’s in a mental prison and working on making up for his actions. Those he cared about turned their backs on him, rightfully so in my opinion, and now he’s taking up Giles’ cause to set things right…even going so far as to try and bring Giles back. But he’s working on penance and at this point none of those actions are enough for Buffy or Spike or Willow or Xander or the rest to forgive him.
“Spike was the one that went to her and offered the solution to the mess. She once again saved his life when Angel tried to kill him. And in issue 40, we didn’t see Buffy taking advantage of him.”
She continues to use him (and not just him, but all her immediate circle) as a safety net. They’ve sacrificed themselves for her time and again and she’s come to expect it. I can understand her current mindset in this issue, because she’s depressed and still trying to deal with her actions, but until something drastic happens I think she’s still going to depend on a safety net of people who she’s come to expect to be there despite how she treats them (good and bad).
“And how exactly did you understand that Spike is after Buffy?”
Because he’s still there. He will always be there for her when she needs him and she’s come to expect that. That’s where I think Buffy’s lost her ability to see him as an equal, at the moment, because she’s wrapped up in the immediate problems and repercussions of her actions. She loves him, even if she’s not ready to admit it, so instead she’s keeping her guard up and playfully flirting because it’s safe. And he’s still coming around because she’s Buffy and despite the journey they’ve taken, with all its ups and downs, he still loves her. If she could see him as an equal again and love him for who he is in his own right, rather than the safety net he provides, then I think they have a much better chance. But Buffy’s not ready for that yet, so they’re both playing it safe until they can regain the footing they had in their prior relationship. They’re not the same people they were before, but if they can get their romantic relationship back on steady ground I think it will be much stronger.
I look forward to seeing what you think once you get a chance to read the comic. Thanks for commenting.
You are a patient woman! It’ll be interesting to see what folks think tomorrow when they read the actual comic. From what I’ve heard, you have the Spike/Buffy thing right.
Re: Jasmine
I do actually have more hope for this season’s storyline than last year’s, so we shall see if it meets (exceeds) my expectations ;)
Thanks for taking the time to write the review and especially the long and detailed replies to the comments (they really helped)
Hi Kimberley
I’ve read the comic and wanted to say that I think your review is very fair (apart from the Angel being in jail thing, which strikes me as a little weird). Re: Spike and Buffy, it’s early days so I’m trying not to let it bother me too much, but as of no 1, like you, I’m having trouble seeing just why Spike is sticking around. I hope an explanation for the way Buffy speaks to him is forthcoming soon. I can’t accept this as the ‘norm’ between them, because it’s not been since season 4/5 of the show.
Re: Anca
You’re welcome :)
Re: Morphia
The jail one was a bad word choice, but I think I clarified more in the later replies. And I do hope they explore the Buffy/Spike dynamic a bit more and give their shared history a chance to get back to the more steady ground they were on. I like them together when they’re equals, but they’re not there at the moment.